Hi guys,

I've only ever owned a 1st gen 1987 runner, which I sadly had to just sell

I'm looking at used runners in 96-02 range, I want the 3.4 motor and not the new body style. I've just moved to Denver so am looking at both private sellers and dealer-stealers. I'm needing a vehicle thats reliable, good in snow, and I'll be using for lots of driving (I'm a service tech so will be all over the Denver metro on a daily basis).

what are the most important and common issues I should check out on these models? I know to ask about the timing belt, and I'll check the ball joints by turning hard over and driving over a bump, but other than that I know little about the common things to be aware of.

Lots of what I'm seeing are in the $2k-$5k range, depending on mileage, and a few that are up to $7-8k, those have under 200k miles. The cheaper ones are averaging 250-310k miles.

Issues at these ages and mileages? Trouble spots I might not see? I'm a decent backyard mechanic, can check fluids, belts, driveshafts, etc, but don't know what specifically to look for on these.

Any input?
Thanks in advance,
Scott

 

The most important thing to beware of is the strawberry milkshake on auto transmissions. Beware of trucks with a brand-new radiator and fresh red fluid in the trans. Google '4runner strawberry' for more info. Second thing to beware of is trucks with rusty frames if it has lived in the salt belt. Take a long screwdriver and probe inside the rear control arm bracket. If you can poke through to the inside of the frame, RUN!

Take a look at this from the 4Runner board:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-ge...ers-guide.html

 

Be aware that regardless of how many miles, maintenance or the word of the seller, you will be fixing something on these vehicles in the future. As Durk mentioned, check for rust and ensure the major stuff like the transmission is in good working order.

 

yes, I absolutely understand that any truck that old/ used will need maintenance and repair.

Good tip on the rust and the teams fluid. I drove one today that was a 5-speed with 290k and ran pretty good, if a little underpowered ( par for the course after that many miles).

I'm waiting for one now that's an auto so I'll be sure to check for those signs, thanks!

 

Some auto shops offer a free "buyer's survey" or "safety inspection". If you find a vehicle you are serious about you should take advantage of this. Their motivation is to find something wrong with the vehicle and hope you will have them fix it, so they should be pretty thorough. You could use this info to talk down the price and you will have a much better idea what you are getting. If it happens to be a Yoda shop they will be familiar with typical issues, (where to look for rust).

 

As long as you take it to the right shop. I learned the hard way years ago. Some shops spend so much time concentrating on petty stuff considering the age of the vehicle while neglecting serious issues